Since December 2024, armed violence between two Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) has intensified in the Catatumbo subregion, particularly in the municipalities of Tibú, Ábrego, Hacarí, Convención, Teorama, El Tarra, and San Calixto. The escalation of the conflict has resulted in a sharp increase in forced displacement and confinement, disproportionately affecting women, children, adolescents, social leaders, signatories of the peace agreement, and indigenous communities from the Barí and Yukpa peoples. The first clashes between these NSAGs were reported on January 16, 2025. Since then, hostilities have expanded across multiple municipalities, leading to displacement, movement restrictions, and heightened risks related to contamination from improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
As a result, over 50,000 people have been forcibly displaced, primarily seeking refuge in the urban centers of Cúcuta, Tibú, and Ocaña. The scale of displacement has surpassed the response capacity of municipal administrations, prompting requests for support from departmental and national authorities. Approximately 57% of the department’s municipalities have been affected, with the highest number of displaced persons arriving in Cúcuta (23,066), Tibú (13,541), and Ocaña (10,285).
The ongoing conflict between NSAGs is spreading to other regions of the country, as armed actors continue to contest territorial control. Additionally, the humanitarian impact of the violence in Catatumbo extends beyond the region, both due to the large influx of displaced persons into urban areas and the strategic movements of NSAGs across different territories.
In response, the Iglesia Evangélica Luterana de Colombia (IELCO) is seeking to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced persons in Cúcuta and Ocaña over a five-month period. This response, implemented through the Rapid Response Fund (RRF) mechanism, aims to reach 2,500 individuals through four key interventions: (i) Protection services and advisory support; (ii) capacity-building on gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and child protection; (iiii) Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA); and, (iv) psychosocial support.
